Container processing bath



Sept. 6, 1966 H. L. DAVIS 3,270,552

CONTAINER PROCESSING BATH Filed Sept. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m QM mmm E United States Patent 3,270,552 CONTAINER PROCESSING BATH Hugh L. Davis, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to Chase Products Company, Broadview, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 311,564 13 Claims. (Cl. 7341.2)

This invention relates to container testing apparatus and more particularly to a bath for transporting containers of sheet metal and filled with pressurized products to be tested through a bath of suitable heated liquid for inspecting such containers against leaks and other defects.

Certain governmental agencies, and indeed the dictates of safety as well, prescribe stringent requirements for metal containers of various pressurized consumer products to protect against the dangers of adul-teration and other defect in these products occurring between packaging and final use by the consumer. One such stringent requirement establishes that, typically, a sheet metal container for aerosol products may not leak when filled with the intended product and that product is raised to a prescribed high temperature of 130 F.

To meet this requirement it has been known heretofore to fill such sheet steel canisters and thereafter pass the filled canisters along a suitable conveyor line under heated water to raise the canister to the required temperature. The while, inspection personnel observe the bath for detecting fault-betraying bubbles or water discolorations as the container is passed along the conveyer line.

In the past, several schemes have been employed for making this required testing most economical and most efiicient while, at the same time, satisfying rig-id govemmental requirements. One such scheme involved raising the temperature of the vwvater bath substantially above that required. Thus, a filled canister to be tested would be brought to the required temperature (substantially below that of the bath) in a short time. Thus the testing bath in which the containers moved could be small and utilization of expensive factory floor space would be conserved. Unhappily for this convenient scheme, high bath temperatures jeopardized proximate manufacturing personnel in the event of water spillage. Further, 'such high bath temperatures made it dangerous for inspecting personnel to remove detected defective containers from the bath. Even more, overheating of container contents often resulted in dangerous explosions.

Accordingly, in the past, resort was made to an extended bath in which the water temperatures were maintained very slightly above the prescribed level over a relatively extended path. This had the marked safety advantage that the water temperature need not be elevated to a dangerous level and that defective containers could be readily removed from the bath without harm to the personnel involved. This latter scheme, thus,'became generally accepted and personnel hazards were substantially eliminated.

This elimination, however, was accomplished at substantial expense. A bath of sufficient length to raise the containers to be inspected gradually to the prescribed temperature became overly long and, of itself, consumed substantial factory floor space. As a matter of fact, even the longest baths presently employed, have necessitated resort to the expedient of heating the bath liquid to a temperature substantially above the prescribed temperature.

Even further, additional floor space was required to give operating personnel convenient access to the inspecting bath. Recognizing these facts, it became apparent that economies could be effected in factory floor space by the simple expedient of passing the containers to be inspected along a serpentine path in the immersing liquid.

This expedient could not be adopted heretofore for reason of the harsh demands of the required testing. The

Patented Sept. 6, 1966 governmental requirements demanded the containers to be tested, submerged and heated to an elevated temperature. Practical considerations flowing from these demands necessitated that a metal conveyer belt be employed for transporting the containers in the heated testing bath and that the containers themselves be rigidly confined in the course of transport. The first demand arose from a need to maintain the conveyer belt operative over extended periods and any readily available belt material but stainless steel rapidly deteriorated, in the high temperature of the testing bath, under the mechanical shocks attendant upon handling metal canisters. The second demand arose from the fact that, without rigid support, containers in transport oftentimes fell over and an orderly inspection process was upset while the fallen container was righted or removed.

With these harsh mechanical requirements, container processing baths known heretofore became rugged, inflexible structures that allowed for no turning of a transversely inflexible conveyer belt. Consequently, these baths were limited to straight line conveying of containers under testing process. As a net result, a testing arrangement for large numbers of containers, being processed at high speeds, became excessively long and excessively space consuming.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a container testing bath for processing a large number of containers rapidly and automatically.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container testing bath requiring a minimum of installation area.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container testing bath having plural, parallel paths for container transport in a liquid, testing environment.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container testing bath having a rugged structure resistant to deterioration in a severe testing environment.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container testing bath of simple construction for insuring reliable operation thereof.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a structure for simply effecting transfer of a container on one transporting belt, in a testing bath, to another oppositely moving belt.

The invention will be more clear and other objects and advantages thereof will become apparent from a consideration of the following brief description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, and from a consideration of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a canister testing bath in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectioned elevation view taken along section indicating arrows 2-2 of the canister testing bath of FIG. 1 and illustrates further features thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partially sectioned, plan view of important structural details of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation view illustrating a detail of canister transporting arrangements for employment in apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectioned end view taken along the line indicated in FIG. 1 by arrows 55 of a portion of a testing bath in accordance with the invention illustrating important drive arrangements therefor; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of canister transporting belt arrangements for employment in a container processing bath in accordance with the invention.

The invention comprises generally a plurality of counter driven parallel conveyor belts made up of linked, nonmagnetic stainless steel plates. Alternate ones of these belts are arranged to move in opposite directions, submerged in a heated water bath. Sheet steel canisters to be tested are disposed for transport on the plates which make up links in the several counter moving belts. These plates move containers thereon from one end of the container bath in accordance with the invention, to another. The linked moving plates ride on and are disposed transversely to respectively associated pairs of magnetic stainless steel tracks which substantially extend the length of the container bath tank and are respectively, oppositely magnetized by below-positioned horseshoe magnets. At an extreme tank end, adjacent and opposite magnetizable tracks of these pairs are connected by like, magnetizable transverse bars, respectively to form two, substantially parallel, continuous magnetizable U-shaped track pairs underneath the conveyor links. Thus, the normal, sheet steel base canister is held on the respectively associated steel plate or plates magnetically. Upset of the can is prevented mechanically by inner and outer guidance rails positioned above the tracks and spaced laterally apart by a distance substantially corresponding to the diameter of the container to be processed.

The aforementioned polarizing magnets are arranged laterally beneath the several pairs of longitudinally extending tracks with alternately opposite magnetic orientation for each track pair. Thus, adjacent tracks of adjacent pairs are similarly poled magnetically in correspondence with a similar opposite magnetic polarity for the exterior tracks of these adjacent track pairs.

In accordance with the invention, there are further provided at the end transport position of a pair of oppositely driven conveyor belts, two curved guidance templates, an interior and an exterior template, positioned vertically in substantial accordance with the positioning of the aforementioned guide rails.

The interior template is configured in convex curvilinear fashion and the exterior template is configured in a corresponding concave fashion to accommodate therebetween a container of diameter to be processed. These templates are curved such that a substantially continuous curvilinear guidance rail is provided from adjacent interior longitudinal guidance rails, of adjacent pairs of such rails and from one exterior longitudinal rail, of such an adjacent pair, to another.

Between the adjacent interior longitudinal guidance rails of adjacent pairs a transition plate of a material corresponding to the linked, nonmagnetic stainless steel plates of the conveyor belt, is fixedly positioned, transversely to the orientation of the conveyor belt plates, in the operating plane of these conveyor belts. A transition horseshoe magnet is positioned beneath this longitudinally oriented transition plate with a polarity such that a magnetic pole of one type is interiorly positioned proximate the correspondingly poled, adjacent, interior tracks of adjacent pairs. This transition magnet is magnetically associated with the aforementioned transverse magnetizable bars. Thus, as the container, mechanically and magnetically held upright between cooperating interior and exterior guide rails, is transported to one end of a conveyor belt moving in a first direction, this container is moved by the curvilinear templates laterally to the adjacent, oppositely moving conveyor belt over the transition plate. In this manner, a given portion of the container is continually linked by a like magnetic field and so held magnetically in a fixed vertical position atop associated, nonmagnetic, stainless steel plates as the direction of container transport is reversed. Obviously it is essential that at least the base of the container be made of ferro-magnetic material, although practically all of todays pressurized canisters are fully formed from sheet steel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown in plan view a container test processing apparatus in accordance with the invention. An elongated, rectangular processing tank 12 is constructed of suitable metal for holding water of a depth to submerge completely the upright containers to be processed in passage therethrough. Suitable well known steam heating coils 14 are arranged in the bottom of this tank and are energized from a conveniently available source of steam power, well known but not shown specifically in the drawings. These heating coils are conveniently controlled by well known thermostatic controls, also not shown specifically for reasons of avoiding undue complexity in the drawings. Thus, these heating coils 14 raise liquid in the tank 12 to a temperature some what above, but corresponding substantially to, a prescribed temperature, say F. at which containers are to be tested.

Plural filled containers 16, comprising cylindrical canisters of steel sheet metal, to be tested, of which containers only an illustrative few are shown, are introduced to the testing tank 12 from a loading rack 17 onto a first reach 18 of an arrangement 20 of multiple separate conveyor belts having parallel disposed reaches 18, 22, 24, 26 and 28, respectively.

The first of these reaches 18 comprises a downwardly inclined entry portion 19 and the last reach 28 comprises an upwardly inclined exit portion 29. The function of these two inclined belt portions will become more clear from a consideration of FIG. 2 hereafter. These belt reaches move slidably atop parallel, magnetized tracks as will be more clear hereafter. Plural fixed, longitudinally extending rail members 48, S4, 53, 5-5, 57, 59 are arranged in parallel relation with edge portions of the several belt reaches and are spaced apart by an amount corresponding to the diameter of the containers 16 to be processed. These guide rails are positioned vertically above the container transporting belts 20 such :that containers transported therealong are mechanically retained laterally in an upright position and the fact that the plural containers to be tested are longitudinally positioned normally adjacent each other mechanically insures this upright position in a longitudinal sense. Thus, positive structural arrangements in accordance with the invention mechanically insure orderly, upright positioning of the containers on the transporting belts 20. This structural arrangement, of course, reinforces the magnetic forces noted heretofore and to be discussed in implementing structural detail hereafter.

The alternate belt reaches 22 and 26 are driven in tension for motion from right to left, as indicated by arrows, by electric motor 30 which acts through a well known Llewellyn drive arrangement 29 and suitable linkages which conveniently include shaft 31 and chain and sprocket arrangement 40 similarly well known but indicated in the drawing by broken lines. As discussed hereafter in more detail, the Llewellyn drive enables variable speed coupling of the rotary drive from motor 30. This control is exercised by wheel 27. This rotary drive is coupled to an axle shaft 33, common to gears 134 (not shown), 36, 37, 39, 41 which are respectively associated in engaged relations with belt reaches 18, 22, 24, 26, 28.

The axle shaft 33 is keyed to gears 36, 39 and rotates freely within the others noted next above. By logical subtraction, gears 37 and 41 are thus unkeyed gears which rotate freely in engagement with the oppositely moving corresponding conveyor belts 24, 28. As later discussed in connection with consideration of the right hand illustrated portion of FIG. 1, these unkeyed gears correspond to oppositely positioned keyed drive gears 84, 88. Gear 34 is mounted above the consequently hidden gear 134 for cooperation with that latter gear, enmeshing with the belt which includes left to right moving reach 18. Thus, these unkeyed gears act as idler gears for the left to right moving reach. The keyed gears 36, 39 act as positive, tensioning drive gears for reaches 22 and 26. Guide rails 53 and 57 are positioned between left moving reaches 22, 26 and corresponding right moving reaches 24, 28. Other guide rails 49, 51, 55, 59 are similarly positioned longitudinally along the edges of the several belt reaches, as shown. Representative guide rails 53, 57 are terminated at each end in convex, curvilinear replaceable templates 54, 58, respectively. These plates correspond in center of curvature, respectively, with concavely curved portions 64, 68 of end plates 60 which are positioned vertically with respect to the belt reaches in a plane corresponding to that of the plates 54, 58. The radius of curvature of the four cancave end plate portions is suflicient to embrace the two adjacent belts 18-22, 22-24, 24-26, 26-28 and is greater than that of the convex plates by an amount corresponding to the diameter of the containers 16 to be processed. With advantage, a container processing apparatus in accordance with the invention may be simply adapted to different diameter containers by replacing these convex plates withothers of larger or smaller radius of curvature.

Plural longitudinal, rectangular transition plates 62 are arranged in the plane of the several belt reaches between oppositely moving ones of such reaches. These plates are constructed of nonmagnetic stainless steel, as are the plural plates which are joined together to form the multiple conveyer belts 20. As will be seen hereafter magnets are positioned beneath the belt reaches and beneath the transition plates. These transition plate magnets are so arranged that a magnetic field is established to flow through the several nonmagnetic stainless steel transition plates from the portion near to the convex guide rail extension templates to the guide rails associated with, and including, the concave end plate surfaces. To insure continuity of this magnetic field the transversely arranged magnets are positioned in energizing relation with longitudinally extending, magnetically permeable parallel tracks which are joined to adjacent parallel, longitudinal tracks by transverse permeable support members.

In the right hand portion of FIG. 1 there are seen structural elements corresponding to those discussed heretofore and having complementary functions. Thus, the motor 80 acts through a Llewellyn drive (not seen in this view) to drive upper gear 91 and through shaft 81 and linkage 93 to drive an axle shaft 83 which is keyed to gears 84, and 88 to effect positive drive for the gears 84 and 88 which are associated with right moving belt reaches 18, 24, respectively. The remaining gears 86, 88 and 191 (not seen in this view) mounted on this shaft are, like the counterpart gears of left side of FIG. 1, idler gears rotating freely on the shaft to permit free movement of the associated belt reaches 22, 26 and 28 thereon. Corresponding structural elements shown in the right hand portion of FIG. 1 include transition plates 62, end plate 60 having concave surfaces 64, 66 and guide rail convex end templates 54, 58.

Referring now to the apparatus of FIG. 1, as seen in the sectioned elevation view of FIG. 2, the functional relations of some of the above noted structural elements will become more clear. A first element is loading rack 17. Onto this rack filled containers 1-6 to be tested are placed by suitable well known means. Thereafter these containers pass into transported engagement with the belt 1 8 which is driven in tension by gear 84 to move on a magnetizable track 70 energized by magnets not shown. The belt 18 passes from the idling gear 34, mounted on shaft 49 horizontally on magnetic track 70 and downwardly on this track to define an inclined portion 19. This horizontal portion allows time for the container to be stabilized in its seated relation on the belt 18. Then the containers are magnetically seized against the belt by the magnetized track 70. Thereafter the belt assumes a steepdownward inclination to establish an inclined, entry portion 19 of the belt reach 18. Inner rail '51 provides lateral positioning support for the containers 16 in the course of transport on this inclined portion 19 of the belt 18. A companion rail 48 on the near side of the container is not shown in this sectioned View, for reasons of clarity, but is shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the belt reach 18 moves the upright containers from the rack 17, which is positioned exterior to the tank .12, as shown, undernearth the surface 69 of water heated to a testing temperature by steam heating coils 14. Thereafter, containers 16 are transported horizontally along atop belt 18 until contacting the concave surface of end plate 60. The belt 18 passes under the plate 60 to drive gear 84. As this occurs, the container is moved laterally by the concave end plate surface away from the viewer of FIG. 2. Crossing the transition plate "62 (shown in FIG. 1) the container is now urged to motion to the left by an oppositely moving belt reach 22 (not shown in this FIG. 2). After repeated passages along the oppositely moving paths defined by the several belt reaches in accordance with the invention, the container and the contents thereof are raised to a predetermined testing temperature. In the course of this temperature rise the plural contain ers on the several reaches of apparatus in accordance with the invention are readily in view of a stationary observer who chooses an appropriate inspecting point. Bubbles in the relatively short tank 12 are readily visible from any inspecting point to disclose gas leaks and discolorations in any part of the water are similarly easily detected. Now the container arrives at the end of inspection as the transporting belt reaches the upwardly inclined portion 29 of track 28 and moves upwardly toward a horizontal orientation in approaching tensioning gear 91. From this latter gear belt 2 8 transports the containers to an unloading platform 117 and passes to the gear 191, an idler gear, obscured by gear 84 in this view. Driven ones of the right hand gears on common shaft 136 move in clockwise rotation (none shown in FIG. 2) under drive of a second motor 80.

Looking next to FIG. '3 here is seen a partially sectioned, enlarged plan view of nonmagnetic stainless steel links in conveyer belt reaches 18 and 22 as these conveyer belt reaches move in opposite directions in proximity to end plate '60. The conveyer belt links comprise complementary opposite end portions for successive fiexible interlocking of plural such plates, pins 71, shown in broken lines. The reach =18 is shown passing underneath end plate 60 to the driving gear 84. The separate belt reach 22 is shown passing underneath this same end plate '60 as this latter noted belt reach moves in an opposite direction from the idler gear '86. This gear, as shown in FIG. 1, moves in counter clockwise rotations, sliding on shaft 83.

The conveyer reach 18 approaches the end plate '60 moving slidably atop a track pair 74 comprising parallel, magnetically .permeable tracks 73, 75 which make up rail 70 drawn by gear 84. The companion reach 22 moves oppositely, fromidler gear 86, on a similar, parallel pair 78 of magnetizable tracks 77, 79. The two pairs of tracks 74, 78 are joined by a like, transverse pair 174 of tracks.

As containers 11-6, indicated by the broken circles, move from left to right on the reach -18, these containers are mechanically maintained in lateral position on the reach 18 by guide rails, noted heretofore but now shown in FIG. 3, on either side of this reach. At the extreme travel to the right of this reach, containers transported thereon encounter the inner concave surface 64 of the end plate 60. Thus, these containers are torcibly moved, from the direction of travel, to the left (upwardly in FIG. 3) across fixed, longitudinally arranged transition plate 62 into engaged relation with the oppositely moving belt reach 22. The transition plate 62 and the end plate 60 are fixedly mounted to the apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention by suitable well known means including the slotted metal screws, illustrated but not designated numerically. Containers move across this transition plate in engaged relation between the convex end template 64 and the concave end plate 54. A continuous magnetic held between the opposite members of the track pairs 74 and 1-74, holds the ferrous metal constructed containers firmly against the belt link plates and the transition plates throughout this transit.

Turning next to the partially sectioned, end view of the structure of FIG. 6, there are seen mounting arrangements governing transport of containers between the belt reaches. Two parallel, longitudinally spaced, magnetizable bars 75 and 73 are positioned underneath the path of transport of the several conveyer reaches 20, to form tracks for these reaches. As noted heretofore, these conveyer belts comprise plural, flexibly linked plates 170, linked by a well known pin arrangement such as that associated with pin 71. These bars 75, 73, longitudinally extending outer and inner support bars, thus cooperate with downwardly extending portions of the belt links 70 to hold the conveyer belt reaches in defined longitudinal paths for transporting containers placed thereon. These support bars are constructed of stainless steel and are fixed, respectively, as shown, to permanent horseshoe magnets 150', by way of a nonmagnetic plate 152. These magnets are illustrative ones of plural such magnets spaced along the pairs of magnetic support bars associated with each of the plural conveyer belt reaches shown. It is to be noted that these magnets are so oriented, as indicated by the N-S polarity markings, that the adjacent, interior support bars are magnetically polarized in a like direction and the opposite, exterior support bars are magnetically polarized similarly but in a magnetic orientation opposite to that of the interior support bars.

The longitudinally arranged, nonmagnetic transition plate 62 is shown in association with a longitudinally oriented, permanent horseshoe magnet 151 by way of transverse magnetic bar 175 and nonmagnetic plate 172. This latter magnet, a transition magnet, is so oriented that a magnetic flux or orientation like to that associated with the interior bars is presented to interior portions of the transition plate. Thus, referring now to the plan of FIG. 3, containers 16 moving on the belt reach 18 are linked by magnetic flux of one polarity continuously along the inner and outer arcs described by this container in passage from the belt 18 to the oppositely moving belt 22- under constraint of the templates 54 and 64.

Turning to FIG. 4, in this view of the structure of FIG. 3, the left moving belt reach 22 is seen moving underneath end template 60 which, as shown, is advantageously, a pair of vertically spaced plates. These plates are fixed to a suitable foundation member by the bolt illustrated but such a foundation is not shown specifically in the drawings for reasons of avoiding obscuring the function of apparatus in accordance with the invention. The plural links 170 of the belt 2-2 move left from gear 86 which rotates freely on shaft 8 3. The plural pins 71 are shown flexibly interconnecting the plural links 170 of the belt. This canister 16 is mid-course in transit from reach 18 (not shown here) to reach 24 between templates 54, 64. At this mid-course position the canister is positioned above transition plate 62 and is held downwardly on this plate by longitudinally arranged magnet 151 energizing transverse bars 173, 175.

Looking now to FIG. 5, the driving mechanisms of apparatus in accordance with the invention are seen in this transversely sectioned end view of a portion of apparatus 10. Here the tank 12 provides support for the exteriorly disposed loading and unloading platforms 17, 117, respectively. The exit motor 80, the loading motor 30 being obscured in this view, drives appropriate linking chain and sprocket arrangement 93 by way of shaft 81 to rotate drive shaft 83 which is keyed to gears 84, 88 for rotating these gears in a clockwise direction for urging the associated belt reaches 18, 24 (see FIG. 1) to travel toward the viewer of FIG. 5. At the same time, idling gears, 86, 89, 191 are driven in opposite rotation by the respectively associated belt reaches 22, 26, 28 which, as seen in FIG. 1 move from left to right.

The motor 80 drives the shaft 81 and gear 91, locked thereto, by a Llewellyn drive 180 having an adjustment knob 181 such that the gear 84 tensions the conveyer reach 28 for motion to bring containers toward the 8 viewer of FIG. 5 onto the platform 117. Clearly, adjustment of the Llewellyn drive by control 181 to speed up shafts 91 and 8 3 enables the operator to space apart containers on the reaches moving toward the viewer of FIG. 5. A converse operation may be performed by adjustment of the Llewellyn drive associated with oppositely moving reaches. Thus, inspection and handling flexibility are afforded in accordance with the invention.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention has thus been described for transporting plural pressure filled containers to be heated and tested while submerged in a water bath amenable to careful inspection scrutiny. In this one illustrative embodiment of the invention a container bath processing apparatus has been illustrated as being markedly reduced in required largest dimension by the employment of oppositely moving conveyer belts of one dimensionally rigid structure for insuring long life under severe testing condition. Thus, inspecting surveillance personnel are convenienced by avoiding viewing over a large area to increase inspection efficiency. At the same time apparatus in accordance with the invention admits of substantial economies in allocation of factory floor space to a basically uneconomic but vitally necessary testing operation.

Still further advantage of apparatus in accordance with the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, in the embodiment shown an odd number of conveyer belts was employed and, thus, exit from the testing bath was made at the opposite end of the tank 12 from which entry was made. By taking the containers from the tank at the end of an even numbered transit, say from reach 26, it is clear that apparatus in accordance with the invention yields further great advantage in positioning in a confined factory location. Thus, any further container processing apparatus may be positioned at the head of a processing bath and only the width of that hath need intervene between successive, entirely different processing stages.

What is sought to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Container processing apparatus which comprises, a longitudinally extending, water containing tank having heating means disposed therein, first and second looped conveyer belts, each having an upper reach disposed for providing a planar transporting surface for materials disposed thereon, means for driving said belt reaches to motion in opposite directions, a planar end plate disposed above said reaches toward an extreme and thereof corresponding to the direction of motion of said first reach, said end plate comprising a curvilinear surface concave in the direction of motion of said second reach, said concave surface embracing said reaches, and a fixed transition plate disposed between reaches, whereby material placed on said first reach is moved laterally to said second reach by said curvilinear surface upon passage of said first reach under said end plate.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first reach comprises an inclined portion for transporting material from above said tank downwardly into said tank for further longitudinal transport therein.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim .1 comprising a plurality of parallel disposed conveyer belts.

4. Container processing apparatus which comprises a longitudinally extending tank for containing water, heating means for heating water in said tank to a preassigned temperature, a plurality of parallel arranged conveyer belts longitudinally disposed in said tank in parallel relation, means for driving adjacent belts of said plurality in opposite directions in said tank from end to end thereof, a corresponding plurality of guide rails disposed in said tank above and parallel to edge portions of said belts for retaining bodies transported on said belts thereon, an end plate positioned above said reaches at a longitudinal position corresponding substantially to one end of said tank, said end plate having a concave surface laterally embracing fi S and second adjacent ones of said reaches and facing opposite to the direction of motion of said first one of said reaches, and a stationary transition plate at said one tank end positioned coplanarly with said reaches, whereby bodies transported on said first belt are moved laterally over said transition plate to said second oppositely moving belt by said end plate curvilinear surface on passage of said first belt under said end plate.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and, in combination therewith, means for urging bodies transported on said belts downwardly thereon.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said bodies comprises ferrous material and said urging means is positioned beneath said reaches.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said urging means comprises means for establishing a magnetic field of like direction from interior edges of transport paths defined by said adjacent belts and said transition plates to exterior edges thereof.

8. Apparatus for testing product filled containers constructed of ferrous material which comprises, a longitudinally extending tank for holding testing water therein, means for heating water in said tank to a preassigned temperature, a plurality of track pairs parallel positioned longitudinally in said tank, the tracks of said pairs being constructed of magnetizable material and extending substantially throughout the length of said tank, a like plurality of conveyer belts constructed of nonmagnetic material and adapted for guided longitudinal motion along said track pairs, the conveyer belts of said plurality being disposed in guided relation with respective track pairs of said plurality, means for moving individual ones of said belts longitudinally, oppositely with respect to adjacently positioned ones of said belts in guided relation with respectively associated tracks, magnet means for establishing adjacent ones of the tracks of said pairs at like magnetic polarity, a fixed transition plate of nonmagnetic material positioned longitudinally between adjacent ones of said belts and coplanarly therewith, a transition magnet fixed beneath said transition plate for establishing a magnetic field of polarity from inwardly extending portions of said plate to outwardly extending portions thereof corresponding to the polarity of magnetic flux extending from adjacent tracks of said pairs to exterior tracks of said pairs, and end plate means having a concave surface laterally embracing oppositely moving adjacent ones of said belts and faced to a first one of said embraced belts, said end plate means being positioned above said embraced belts for passing said belts thereunder and engaging bodies transported thereto on said belt, whereby said ferrous material containers are magnetically retained on said belts and are transferred laterally from said first belt of said adjacent pair to said second belt.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 comprising a second end plate longitudinally positioned above adjacent pairs of oppositely moving belts oppositely from the longitudinal positioning of said first named end plate, said second end plate having a concavely configured portion opposite to that of said opposite plate and said concave configured portions laterally embracing a common belt and other oppositely moving belts paired therewith, whereby product filled containers transported to said first end plate on a first reach are consecutively shifted to said common belt and to the remaining oppositely moving belt.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said belts comprise a plurality of metal plates of rigid construction and pivotally connected with adjacent plates of said plurality by a pin extending transversely of the direction of interconnection of the plates of said plurality, whereby said belts are substantially inflexible about an axis normal to said track pairs.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said moving means comprises a first plurality of gears positioned along a first shaft having an axis corresponding to the lateral extent of said tank, said gears being respectively associated with individual of said belts and being engaged therewith, alternate ones of the gears on said shaft being freely rotatable thereon, and the remaining ones of said gears being fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith whereby alternate laterally positioned ones of said belts are driven to lateral movement in correspondence with rota tion of said shaft, and drive means for rotating said shaft.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 and, in combination therewith, a second shaft corresponding to and longitudinally positioned opposite said first shaft, said second shaft having alternate idling and driven gears disposed in symmetric relation with the alternately disposed gears on said first shaft.

13. Container processing apparatus for testing plural sealed containers immersed in a liquid bath which comprises, an elongate tank for retaining a liquid to form said bath, means for contr-ollably heating said bath liquid, first and second conveyor belts, positioned adjacently in substantially parallel orientation within said tank, first and second drive rollers rotatable in engagement with said conveyor belts for driving said belts to longitudinal motion within said tank, drive means for said rollers, said drive means being connected for oppositely driving said rollers, whereby said parallel positioned conveyor belts move adjacently in opposite directions, a curvilinear guide rail positioned above said conveyor belts, said guide rail being configured for embracing the path of said first and second belts and disposed in concave orientation to the direction of motion of one of said belts whereby containers transported longitudinally in one direction on said one belt are laterally transported for opposite longitudinal motion onto said remaining belt on entering into engagement with said concave, curvilinear guide means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 777,403 12/1904 Cosens 73-412 1,372,690 3/1921 Henszey 73 41.2 1,746,644 2/1930 Fox 198-159 1,831,330 11/1931 Thompson 198-136 3,032,171 5/ 196 2 Petin 198136 X DAVID SOHONBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. CONTAINER PROCESSING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, WATER CONTAINING TANK HAVING HEATING MEANS DISPOSED THEREIN, FIRST AND SECOND LOOPED CONVEYER BELTS, EACH HAVING AN UPPER REACH DISPOSED FOR PROVIDING A PLANAR TRANSPORTING SURFACE FOR MATERIALS DISPOSED THEREON, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID BELT REACHES TO MOTION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A PLANAR END PLATE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID REACHES TOWARD AN EXTREME AND THEREOF CORRESPONDING TO THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF SAID FIRST REACH, SAID 